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that he had no ground of hope, but of mere free grace, through the mediation of a substitute, of which God had just before given some intimations, by including in the sentence which he pronounced upon the serpent, a declaration that the Seed of the woman should bruise his head; and also, by making to Adam and his wife coats of skins and clothing them-of skins, most

heaven partake of and enjoy all the benefits of Christ's redemption, the eternal life with all the honors, joys and delights which he hath obtained for them, and of which, as their forerunner and head, he hath taken possession, with an irreversible confirmation in the enjoyment thereof forever. Now it does not appear, that there would be any propriety in expressing this confirmation in the endless life and hap-probably, taken from animals piness of heaven, by the figura- then offered in sacrifice to pretive or metaphorical language of figure the atonement, through eating of the tree of life, which which the promised Seed would is in the midst of the paradise of in due time furnish a covering God, if the tree of life, in the to their spiritual nakedness. If midst of the garden of Eden, another way of life, than that had not been the appointed to- proposed to Adam when first ken and sacramental pledge of placed in the garden, had not confirmation in endless holiness been thus provided and in some and happiness to Adam, upon measure revealed to him, it aphis admission to eat of it in con- pears as though, when driven sequence of finishing success-out of the garden and totally fully his probationary course of obedience.

barred from access to the tree of life, he would have had no ground to expect any thing short of suffering, in its full extent, the death intended in the original threatening.

The same idea of the tree of life in the earthly paradise, as being the appointed symbol or sacramental pledge of confirmation in endless life and happiness, 4. As Adam was driven out in consequence of finished obe- of the garden by God, and bardience, is again suggested in red from all access to the tree Rev. xxii. 14. "Blessed are they of life, whilst his posterity were that do his commandments, that included in him as the head or they may have right to the tree root of the whole species, his of life, and may enter in through expulsion, &c. showed, that the the gates into the city." Hence, way of life revealed in the first 3. Adam's expulsion from the covenant, was as effectually bargarden, and the guard set to ren-red to all his posterity, as to himder it utterly impracticable for self. Nevertheless, him to take and eat of the tree 5. As before his expulsion, of life, showed, in a very strik- another way of life, by free ing and forcible manner, that it grace, through a Mediator and had become utterly impossible atonement, had been, though obfor him to obtain a confirmed ti- scurely, intimated to him, he tle to life by the first covenant, might consistently view his posor according to its tenor in the terity as coming into actual exway pointed out in it, viz. by hisistence, under a possibility of own obedience; and therefore eternal life in the same way, in

which divine grace had opened a | of life, whilst guarded by Cherdoor of hope to him, when all ubims and a flaming sword hope by virtue of the first coven-which turned every way.

ant was utterly cut off.

These observations will be closed with a few brief remarks naturally suggested by them.

4. What great cause we have for gratitude and praise for the provision and clear revelation now made to us, of a way of life 1. Adam's expulsion from the and endless happiness, of free garden and the guard set to ren-grace through the mediation of der his return impracticable, Christ; and how highly it conwere well suited to afford him cerns us to comply with it. useful instruction, and to operate PAREPIDEMOS. as means to bring him off from all dependence on his own righteousness or obedience to entitle him to life and a happy immortality, and to excite him to look for this blessing in the way of mere grace through the promised Seed.

Christ the faithful Witness, considered in some Remarks on Rev. i. 5.

-"And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness."

generally agreed that

2. The divine conduct in this affair, was expressive not only of holy displeasure against sin,This book of Revelation was but also of great wisdom and goodness. For the same facts, written by the same person who in God's treatment of our first penned the gospel of John—the parents, which clearly manifest- same who was called the beloved great displeasure against ed disciple; and who, in the them for their disobedience, exercise of an uncommon intiwere well calculated and admi-macy with Christ, leaned on his ably suited to warn and guard them against those attempts to establish their own righteousness, of which they were in great danger, and which would have greatly tended to prevent a cordial compliance with the only possible way of salvation; and on the contrary to excite them to look forward by faith to the promised Seed as their only refuge and hope.

bosom at supper. It was written at Patmos, a desolate island, whither the writer was banished by the cruel edict of a persecuting emperor. It is generally agreed that this took place about sixty years after the ascension of Christ, and, of course, when John was far advanced in life. He was spared to a great age that he might complete the revelation of God, and close the ca

3. How vain, foolish and dar-non of scripture. ing it would be, for us to expect In the verse immediately beand attempt the attainment of a fore the passage under considtitle to life and immortality, in eration, John begins an address the way of the first covenant, or to the seven churches in Asia. by the law of works-as foolish" John to the seven churches and daring as it would have been for Adam to have attempted to force his way back to the tree

which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace from him which is, and which was, and

lover of Jesus will act.--But Christ is the faithful witness in a twofold sense. He has made

which is to come; and from the seven spirits which are before his throne; and from Jesus Christ who is the faithful wit-known divine truth, and, as a ress, and the first begotten from sacrifice, sealed the truth with the dead, and the prince of the his blood. The passage brings kings of the earth." him into view, therefore, both in his prophetical and priestly office.

The highest character, and the most dignified titles are applied to Christ. But his importance to fallen man, in the good procured and bestowed by him, is expressed in nothing more clearly than in his being styled the faithful witness.

personal righteousness, that the
saints under the former dispen-
sation died in peace, and went to

Christ is the faithful witness,
I. As having revealed all ne-

To enter largely into these, and show how Christ hath acted as Prophet and Priest, in the various ages of the world, would open a field too extensive for this dissertation. But yet, it A witness, in the common ac- may be observed that Christ ceptation of the word, is one that hath acted in both these capacitestifies to the truth of any fact. ties ever since the fall of man. In courts of justice, where caus- It was in the full belief of those es are disputed, and controver-truths he revealed by his prosies settled, the judges deter-phets, and on the ground of his mine facts according to the testimony of witnesses. The word which in the Greek is put for a witness signifies one who tes-heaven. tifies to the truth at the expense of life. Hence from the same Greek word is derived Martyr.cessary truth. It follows therefore that the truth is more important than ease, happiness or life. The faithful witness at all hazards, adheres to truth. The great question with him is not how he shall please men, and secure his own personal safety. But the grand question is, "what has God revealed, and what does he require should be maintainedly persuaded; concerning whom and supported as true?" When this question is once determined he adheres to the truth, and trusts the event with God.-seen them afar off, and were perWhen this point is settled, he suaded of them and embraced them, declares the truth, even at the and confessed that they were stranexpense of life. On this princi-gers and pilgrims on the earth. ple the apostles acted when life was at stake: On this principle the primitive teachers of Christianity acted with death in full view; and on this principle the

By all necessary truth is designed all that truth necessarily connected with the salvation of sinners. There are certain truths which are necessary to be known and embraced, without which we can see no consistent way for sinners to be saved. Of these the patriarchs, and saints of the first ages of the world were firm

the apostle saith, Heb. xi. 13. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having

These pious men of old saw by faith the good things contained in the truths revealed by the prophets, and embraced the promises of God, made to the Fa

thers, pertaining to a Saviour to the appointed time he entered come. The glorious Redeemer, on the work of teaching and exthe second person in the adora-plaining the truths which, for ble Trinity, having been appoint- many ages, he had taught by ed from everlasting, and given his prophets. Having completfor a witness to the people, hathed the work he had to do on performed, completely, the work earth, and finished his personal and business assigned him. He ministry among men, he left a hath made such a revelation as number of chosen and commisthe state and circumstances of sioned servants to close the cadepraved man required. non of scripture. These explain1. He hath revealed all thated, established and confirmed was necessary pertaining to doctrine.

what had been taught by Christ and his prophets before him. So Christ, by his prophets, made that Christ, as the faithful witness, a revelation of all the essential hath revealed and made known doctrines of religion. The gos- all things pertaining to doctrine pel and its essential truths were which is necessary for sinners to known long before Christ ap-know, that they may be saved. peared in the flesh. There was 2. In the same character a revelation of the doctine of sal-Christ hath revealed every thing vation by the Son of God many pertaining to precept which is ages before his birth. The pro- needful for men to know. mise in the garden, that the seed Man is a dependent, accountof the woman should bruise the able creature. His actions are serpent's head, made, probably, connected with a future state, by Christ himself; pointed out and his character in this life is his incarnation and future suf- formed for eternity. Hence it is ferings, and brought his atoning exceedingly important for him sacrifice, clearly, to view. Moses to know the mind and will of his prophesied of the same person Sovereign. Unhappy, indeed, with a great degree of clearness; would be the state of man had and after him all the prophets, he no intimation of the divine until prophecy ceased about four pleasure more than what is nathundred years before he made urally impressed on his mind, or his appearance in the world. can be known by the light of naBut no one of the prophets hath ture. Aside from supernatural given so clear views of the gos-revelation, we must be exeedpel as Isaiah; for which reasoningly in the dark as to our duty he is called, by some, "the evan- to God and our fellow men.gelical prophet." He appears to Without the revelation Christ have spoken strikingly of Christ, hath made, we never could be as to his birth, life, sufferings fully satisfied, whether God is and death. All the essential doc- pleased or not-whether our contrines pertaining to salvation are duct will meet the divine approfound in the prophets. bation, or incur the displeasure of our God. But men are not so left in the dark as to a knowledge of duty. It is made as plain as the noon-day sun. The faithful witness gave the ten comY Y

After the world for ages had been instructed by the prophets, Christ himself appeared among men, in the body of flesh that was prepared for him. And at VOL. V. No. 10.

mands from mount Sinai, which | grace of the Lord by which they

are made partakers of his body and blood, to their comfort here, and glory hereafter.

Thus Christ the faithful wit

truth.

teach men their duty to God and one another, and are to remain an unaltered rule of life, to the end of time. He went before his people in their long marchness hath revealed all necessary to the land of promise, from time to time gave them such laws, II. The next idea suggested and so opened and explained by the passage is that Christ their duty, as in the fullest man-hath acted in the character, and ner, to let them know his di- performed the office of a priest. vine pleasure. When his gosJesus the Saviour not only pel kingdom was set up he gave acted as a faithful witness in relaws for the government and re-vealing all necessary truth, but gulation of his church, which are he sealed that truth with his ownto continue in force as long as blood. He had discharged the he has a church on earth. office of a prophet, and been con3. Christ, in the same char-sidered by the Father, and relied acter, hath revealed and made known to his church the ordinances to be observed, until his second coming.

The faithful witness hath taught his church that God is to be worshipped in a public, and in a private manner. He hath taught the various duties they are to perform relating to God and their fellow men. But there are two special divine ordinances which are of peculiar significancy, and of perpetual binding force. Baptism and the holy supper are the two special, standing ordinances which every Christian is bound to observe. These are to continue to the end of the world. One is designed to signify the washing of regeneration, and sprinkling with the blood of Christ, whereby the sinner, being renewed and cleansed from the pollution of sin, is brought into the covenant of grace, and entitled to the promises of the gospel. The other is designed to represent and show forth the Lord's death, and bring to the view of believers, in every age of time, the love of Christ whereby they are redeemed; and the

on by the saints, as the atoning priest, long before his incarnation, even from the time of the divine promise that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head. The legal priests were all, in a greater or less degree, typical of Christ the great antitype. But the high priest was more eminently so. When he went into the holiest of all, and, with the blood of the sacrifice, sprinkled the mercy seat, it pointed out, and prefigured Christ as entering into heaven, by his own blood, and making intercession for his people. This showed how an atonement would, in due time, be made by Christ, and a complete sacrifice offered for sin. When the appointed time arrived, he showed that this was no unmeaning service. To complete the purpose and design of God Christ must die, and make an ample atonement. The way was prepared for his death by the truths he taught. The truth must be preached; and preaching the truth must bring him to the cross.

There was a glorious consistency in the divine plan. Hence

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